Last month’s one-to-five interclub competition hinted at a changing of the guard within North Shore bowling. Long-dominant Shore clubs are finding themselves increasingly challenged, and in some cases surpassed, by fast-growing rivals.

Bowls North Harbour’s one-to-five-year interclub competition held last month offered another hint of what might soon be a significant shift in the balance of playing power within the centre. While there have been exceptions, Harbour bowls has generally been dominated by those clubs in what might be termed the old North Shore; the likes of Birkenhead, Takapuna, Mairangi Bay and, of course, Browns Bay. But if the recent junior inter-club is an indication, those clubs, apart from Browns Bay, could soon find themselves not only matched but eclipsed by those which have emerged in more recent years: Orewa, Manly and Hobsonville.

Thriving clubs like these owe their growth in part to the population spread to these areas, including, in the case of Orewa and Hobsonville, several retirement villages. But much of their growth can also be attributed to the initiatives the clubs have taken themselves, with a focus on recruitment. Browns Bay, even if it has been long established, is a good example of benefitting through hard work. Under livewire president Pete Sheehan, it has seen its numbers swell in recent seasons, with more than 70 one-to-five-bowlers among its membership in the past two years, of which 40 have been in their first year. Many have been coached by Pete and another club stalwart, Margaret Oates, each Friday in three-hourly sessions. A large business-house competition and “Have a Go Days” have contributed, too, to the flourishing membership.

And last month’s inter-club competition showed just how successful in enlisting new bowlers those clubs in the outer areas have been. Of the 19 teams competing, four came from Browns Bay, four from Orewa, two each from Hobsonville, Manly and Mahurangi East, which is based at Snells Beach, and one from Helensville. By contrast, just four teams came from clubs in the southern part of the centre; one each from Birkenhead, Takapuna, Milford and Mairangi Bay.

That dominance continued into the play-offs with Browns Bay providing three teams, Orewa two, Hobsonville two and Manly one. Hobsonville’s second team and Browns Bay Orange made the final, which was not surprising as these two clubs have also dominated the centre’s junior representative teams.

Thanks largely to a superb display by its singles player Carol Voshaar, who won all her games, repeating her earlier feat for the centre in the recent octagonal representative tournament, Manly won the title 2-1 and the right to represent North Harbour in this month’s regional play-offs in Whangarei.

Browns Bay’s Lloyd Sinton and Mark Brown, like Voshaar, outstanding in the one-to-five ranks in the past couple of years, won the pairs, but Hobsonville offset that with the win in the triples by John Coogan, Deanne Bronlund and Shane Don.

But while there is a trend towards the outer clubs in junior bowls, it might be too early just yet to disregard those a little more established. Mairangi Bay has had a vintage season in open ranks, winning all three sevens club titles, and at the national play-offs, its young singles player, Michael Thomas, just one year out of juniors, won all four of his six games.

And Takapuna, too, has secured four centre championship titles this season and, of course, won the national women’s fours title in Tauranga in early March.